Cats with contraband become international prison trend

Last week, a cat with an oversized collar raised suspicion for its frequent visits to a prison in Maldova. When guards caught the kitty, they found its collar to contain bags of marijuana. The BBC reports that the video of the collar being removed was posted by the Moldovan justice ministry.

This isn't the first case of cats being used as mules.

In June The Moscow Times reported that a cat with contraband was intercepted by prison guards in Russia's northern Republic of Komi:

"Two packages were taped to the animal's back. When the packages were unwrapped, guards found objects prohibited in the penitentiary facility — two cell phones with batteries and chargers," the Republic of Komi penitentiary service department said in a statement posted on its website.

Around New Years, a kitty was found carrying files, and drill bits in addition to a cell phone at a medium security prison in the Brazilian city of Arapiraca. The BBC reported:

A prison spokesperson was quoted by local paper Estado de S. Paulo as saying: "It's tough to find out who's responsible for the action as the cat doesn't speak."

Naturally, one can imagine that a cat could be well-trained with treats to visit its favorite friends in jail, but it's unclear what happens to the cats that get caught. It's not necessarily abuse, but it does seem these kitties are being ill-used.